No Special Occasion
by Sedra
Summary: Just a little tableau, if you will. Danziger decides to make dinner. Family bonding ensues. On the menu…flashbacks galore!
1. Chapter 1

No Special Occasion

Just a little tableau, if you will. Danziger decides to make dinner. Family bonding ensues. On the menu…flashbacks galore! Please leave a comment for the chef if you enjoy the meal. If not, remember it was free!

I do not own Earth 2 or its awesome characters. But maybe if we all chip in a few bucks, we can work something out.

**Chapter 1**

Yale couldn't believe his luck. For a record-breaking three days in a row, he had been the first one home at the end of the day. After trying to keep the attention of ten hormonal teenagers all day, the last thing he needed was to come home to two more. Uly and True would be home soon enough, but Yale savored these moments of solitude. He poured himself a glass of Cameron's latest concoction and relaxed on the couch.

Yale was thinking of visiting the Terrian caves later that night to commune with the sun stones. He had had a lot of luck with them lately. It left him feeling peaceful. Liberated. As he stretched his legs and lifted his feet up to the coffee table, John burst through the front door. Yale sighed and reluctantly put his feet back on the ground.

"Hey, Yale. Good, you're here. I was hoping I would've caught you on gear before you left school. I thought I'd make dinner tonight. Maybe I'll get the kids to grab something from the market."

Another rarity. John rarely made it home before sunset these days, staying late at meetings or in his office. Sometimes he could be found down at the garage, tinkering around with the vehicles until Frank would tell him to get out of his shop. Yale hated to admit it, but John's mood had improved considerably since he'd ended his relationship with Kate.

"I'm gonna try to get the kids on gear. Anything you want them to pick up?" John asked, busily searching the kitchen cabinets.

"No, thank you, John. What's the special occasion?" Yale rose to meet John in the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

"Special occasion? No special occasion. Just thought it's been a while since I made dinner. Can't expect you and the kids to feed me all the time. Gotta pull my own weight."

Yale watched as John grabbed various pots and pans and placed his gear on his head in one fluid motion. "True, get me some carrots. And eggs… What do you mean, 'what for?'"

John swung the eyepiece in place and finally stood still, hands on his hips. "No, you're not going to Tasha's for dinner. Hey, is Uly with you? Well, where is he? Damn right, he better be on his way home. Yes, he's still in trouble, True. Anyway, carrots and eggs. _Chicken_ eggs, True. Hurry home. I'm getting started right now. No, there's no special occasion, but Yale says he's starving, so you better hurry up."

John grabbed the gear off his head and tossed it onto the table. He began filling a pot with water. Yale sat and watched, laughing to himself.

"What's so funny, old man? I notice you're not offering to help."

"Wouldn't want to get in your way. You are obviously a man on a mission."

"Alright, Yale. I know you love to think you can read my mind and you can trick me with your fancy talk into getting me to basically tell you everything you already know, so let's cut to the chase. Yes, I'm glad it turned out True wasn't with that Tariyal boy the other night when I couldn't get a hold of her. And that she was actually at the hospital helping Julia with the kids. Yes, I'm glad it's been two whole months since Uly got back from his last disappearance, and he might actually be sticking around this time. Yes, I'm sure I made the right decision to end things with Kate. And, yes, I'm glad Julia's team has finally pinpointed the cause of Devon's illness." John refused to look Yale in the eye. Didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He just turned to the spice rack, noisily grabbing canisters and putting them back into place.

"Anything else?" Yale asked, raising an eyebrow.

John couldn't keep his angry façade up for long and let out a low laugh.

"'Anything else.' You're hilarious, you know that? Things are finally looking up, is all. Work's been going well. Meetings have been downright relaxing now that Morgan's back from paternity leave. Something about all those babies at home really helps him focus at work. Reminds me, I invited them over for dinner next week." John watched the pot of water boil before turning to look for salt.

"Another dinner?" Yale was having too much fun. He couldn't remember the last time John had come home with so much energy or had spoken in more than grunts around the house.

"Yeah, poor Bess needs to get out of the house. She really misses school, too. Says she'll get back to teaching next month."

"That will be nice. Her students miss her."

"And it'll give you more time with Nina, right?" John winked at Yale, pouring salt into the boiling water.

"I can't say I would mind if she had to give up her job substituting for a little while."

"You got lucky with that one, Yale. Just the type of gal to keep you in line," John teased.

Yale let out a bark of a laugh. "You are in rare form tonight, Mr. Mayor."

"Dammit." John yanked his tie loose. "That reminds me. Can you keep an eye on things for a few minutes?" Without waiting for an answer, John left for his bedroom.

Yale smiled and sipped at his drink. He also couldn't remember the last time John didn't make changing his clothes his absolute first priority when he got home. Usually his tie was off before he even got in the door.

Yale heard the front door open again as Uly made about as much commotion entering the house as John had. Yale still couldn't believe how much Uly had taken after his surrogate father. If Devon returned…_when _ Devon returned, Yale corrected himself with a smile, he was sure he would be to blame. But John was a force of nature. It was impossible for Uly not to have been influenced by him, particularly at his impressionable age. He would never mention that to Uly, of course.

"Hey, Yale," Uly shouted, running straight through the kitchen and heading up the stairs.

"Wait a moment, Uly," Yale called.

Uly slowly backed down the stairs. "What…"

"John is making dinner tonight."

"I'm not hungry. I'm gonna go work on my homework." Uly turned to make his way up the stairs again.

Yale stood and walked to the base of the stairs. "I think it's important for you to help out with dinner tonight."

"I think _Danziger_ can handle it," Uly called, before slamming his bedroom door shut behind him.

Yale sighed. It was going to be a long night.

--------

When John returned to the kitchen, he was wearing the shirt. That awful shirt. His good luck shirt. When he wore that shirt, the kids knew things were ok. It was a good time to ask a favor or hope for a decrease in punishment. John hadn't worn that shirt since Uly ran off the last time, three months ago. Yale knew this was important, and Uly's behavior broke his heart.

"Was that Uly just now? Kid sounds like a herd of buffalo. Yale, water's boiling over. I thought I left you in charge?" John grabbed some pasta and poured it into the pot.

Yale returned to his seat and his drink in silence. His good humor gone, it was John's turn to ask questions.

"What did he do now?"

"Well, at least he came home," Yale answered with a sad smile.

"That kid. He's lucky he has a home to come back to…"

Yale understood. Both of them had spent enough time trying to reassure each other that Uly was only going through a phase. That he was entering his teen years and was ruled by hormones. But Yale and John knew it was more than that. And that they had failed again and again to reach Uly.

"Just makes me sick sometimes to think that the only reason he's here is because the Terrians sent him packing. What did we do wrong?"

It was a conversation they had had too many times before with no easy answers.

Yale shook his head. "John, you've been an amazing father. Uly is lucky to have you. But all he sees at this age is his own pain and hurt."

"He's turning thirteen. I was a terror at that age, too. But this is different. We know it's different. Maybe Alonzo can try talking to him again. Maybe get the kid Dreaming again, at least." Before Yale could respond, John stomped to the bottom of the stairs, and grabbed the rail, tightly. "Uly!" he shouted angrily. "We are having a _family_ dinner tonight. And whether you like it or not, you are part of this _family_. And we _love_ you, dammit!" John crossed his arms, fingers tapping his elbows impatiently.

Yale heard Uly's door open. "Geez, fine. Calm down," Uly muttered. He sauntered down the stairs as slowly as possible, head down, long curls hiding his face. John stood his ground at the bottom of the stairs, blocking Uly's passage. It was then that Uly noticed the shirt and a very faint smile came to his lips before he quickly disguised it.

"What's the special occasion?" he sighed, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.

John just grabbed him in a bear hug. "You drive us nuts, Ulysses Adair," he growled. "You know that, right?"

"Whatever." But Uly couldn't help it. He felt his eyes sting as tears started to form. He tried not to sniff. He was glad his hair was still hiding his face. He broke away from the hug gently and went over to the stove. "Pasta?" He was noticeably disappointed. Pasta was about all Uly could make, so this was nowhere near what he expected from some special family dinner. "Your gear's blinking," he stated, as he dropped himself into the chair at the opposite end of the table from Yale.

John grabbed his gear. "True? Are you almost here? I'm declaring a new holiday. Uly's sitting at the table and everything. See you soon."

"What's she doing?"

"I asked her to pick up a couple things at the market."

"What. More _pasta_?"

Yale had had just about enough. He stood up abruptly, the wooden chair scraping the floor behind him.

He didn't have to say a word. Uly met his eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry, John. And Yale."

John pretended not to notice the wordless exchange between Uly and Yale. "Here, cut this tomato."

Uly dragged himself over to the counter and grabbed the knife out of John's hand. As he cut the tomato, he felt a lump in the back of his throat. His eyes filled with tears again, but he quickly wiped them away. John pretended not to notice this, either.

The three men continued in silence. John bustling around the kitchen, Uly chopping vegetables, and Yale sipping his drink.

--------

True had taken a little longer at the market than necessary. Home had been so gloomy lately, she tried anything to keep away. Helping out at the hospital, helping Bess grade vid reports, babysitting all the babies that had been born in the past couple of years. They were all worthwhile causes, so her dad and Yale couldn't really complain too much. Until her dad thought she'd been out with Jay Tariyal. Please, like Jay would even give her the time of day. He was much too mature for her. And definitely too good-looking. And smart. He was so smart. And funny. True shook her head to banish thoughts of "that Tariyal boy," as her dad still referred to him.

Her thoughts turned to Kate. She was still mad that her dad had made such a huge decision without consulting her first. What was her dad thinking? Kate was beautiful, fun, and she was always making cool stuff for True. It's like her dad just didn't want to be happy. Ever. But she couldn't keep that train of thought for long. The truth was that as wonderful as Kate was, she just couldn't make her dad happy. They had had some fun times, and it was great having another girl around sometimes, but True knew it hadn't been right. But it didn't mean she had to like it. Rumor was that Kate was already dating her dad's friend Lyle. She wondered if her dad knew about that.

True picked some flowers on the way home and waved to various friends and their parents as they made their way around town. She never thought she'd ever know so many people or have so many friends. The younger children adored her, and the parents used her as an example. True milked it for all it was worth. She knew part of her sunny public demeanor was a downright shameless attempt to make Uly Adair look even worse. The boy who hardly ever smiles. The boy who runs away to the Terrians like a little baby instead of sticking up for himself.

But she had to admit, she was starting to feel sorry for him. After the last time he'd run away without a word, the Terrians had told him he was failing them. They were disappointed in him. He was supposed to be the first true link between humans and Terrians…and the planet itself. Most of the Syndrome kids had been changed, too, but the Terrians still claimed that Uly was different. Even the other Syndrome kids thought Uly was a little strange. They enjoyed their health and new abilities. They felt a closeness to the planet and kinship with the Terrians that even the adults who had learned how to Dream could not truly comprehend. But while they reveled in their change, it only seemed to bring pain and loneliness to Uly.

True felt tears welling in her eyes at the thought. Her friend…her brother. She had reached out to him so many times. They all had. Was it his mother's absence? His expression had barely changed when Julia gathered them all together to give them the news. Her team had found the cause of Devon's illness. Now, they just needed to find the cure. It had been a couple of weeks, but Uly still wouldn't talk about it. She had even tried Dreaming with him, but he had blocked her attempts. That's what had hurt her the most. When her dad heard her crying, he had assumed it had something to do with "that Tariyal boy." She didn't want to upset him more by telling him it was really the Adair boy. The stupid Adair boy who used to be her best friend. Her only friend. Now she just wanted to punch him in the face, she thought, her hands tightening into fists around the handles of her market bags.

True stood just outside of the door of their house and took a deep breath. She spent a moment taking in the sight of it. Sometimes she pretended she was Devon, seeing New Pacifica for the first time. What would she think? Would she want to live with them? Or would she build her own house and take Yale and Uly away? There was a room for her. Next to her dad's room and across from Yale's. True and Uly had rooms upstairs, so that it would be harder for them to sneak out at night, her father insisted. Devon's room was perfect. Yale and her dad had made the furniture, and she and Uly had worked on the pillows, the rug, the blankets. They had painted murals on her wall. Sometimes True would sit at Devon's desk and look out of her window and wonder what it would have been like to grow up like Devon Adair. She had to admit she hadn't given it much thought when Devon was actually around. But since the colonists arrived, she heard the name Devon Adair uttered like the name of a saint. She'd never really seen the news vids when she was a kid, before they came to G889. But plenty of colonists had them recorded. Devon Adair in news conferences, at galas, at fundraisers. Devon Adair, always perfectly beautiful, always so strong, giving speeches before the Council about the Syndrome, about immigrant workers' rights, about "collective bargaining." Yale had taught True about all those issues, but never dwelt on Devon's role. She didn't know if it was because it was too painful to speak about, or if he knew Devon would have been too humble to have Yale speak of her accomplishments too much.

Part of her dreaded Devon's return. Part of her ached for it.

Encouraged by a nudge from her cat, True opened the door.

-----

When True arrived, it was like the first day of spring. In a single explosion, the world blossomed with color and light. She beamed at her father and presented Yale with the flowers she had picked, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"My, what's all this?" Yale chuckled. Her father looked on suspiciously.

True just shrugged, still smiling radiantly. She took two flowers from the bouquet. With a small dramatic spin, she handed one to her father and hugged him tightly. "Nice shirt!" she sang. She deposited the groceries on the counter.

"Don't worry, Uly, how could I ever forget you?" she sighed sweetly. It was enough to make his teeth itch. He took the flower from her outstretched hand limply.

They all knew it was just a show, but it worked.

"Well, it's comforting to know that if you don't make it as a doctor, you'd make an excellent actress," John snorted. But his daughter had lifted his mood again. This dinner _was_ going to be special.

It then occurred to True that the only vase they had was the one Kate had made. There hadn't been much use for a vase until Kate started hanging around. True grabbed it out of the cabinet anyway. Her dad was the one who'd made the decision to break things off, so he'd just have to deal with the reminder.

She filled the vase with water and placed it in the center of the table. Yale obliged, arranging the flowers neatly.

"Beautiful, True. What a thoughtful gesture."

"Oh, Yale, it's no big deal," she said, trying to sound modest.

John walked over and put his flower in the vase, too. He looked at the vase for a moment, lost in thought. Then a smile broke out on his face, and he returned to manning the stove.

"Dad, you kinda messed up Yale's arrangement. I'll fix it. Uly, give me that flower back."

Uly was still hunched over the counter, chopping onions. Chopping more onions than John could possibly use for dinner. He had the flower tucked behind his ear.

"No way. You can't give someone something and then just take it back."

True was just happy he was actually speaking to her. "I can do whatever I want. And you look silly with that thing on your head."

Uly still wasn't budging. "Remember that time Morgan made us put that vid together?" he asked.

"The vid for the colonists? 'Welcome to New Pacifica!' That's right, we had flowers in our hair. It was hilarious. Bess wanted us to look sweet and innocent." True giggled at the memory…

---------


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When Eden Advance had finally reached New Pacifica, they were just happy to be alive. They all threw themselves into building what they could, trying not to think about Devon in her cold sleep chamber. They found a couple more cargo pods and eventually learned how to trade with the Grendlers effectively. Not to mention there was a spider cave not too far off. And the Terrians let them live in their caves for most of the time. They built a few rough cabins, and it was very slow going at first. None of them had worked with anything but prefabricated materials in their lives. Some seeds were planted, animals raised.

Eden Advance knew they wouldn't have an adequate colony set up in time for over a thousand people. After several months, and amid rising anxiety over the impending arrival of the colony ship, John gathered the group together on the beach and made a suggestion.

"No matter how many Grendlers we find, no matter how many more cargo pods we find, no matter how many trees we chop down… We have to admit to ourselves that this just isn't gonna work."

The group eyed each other, not sure where Danziger was going with this.

"I have a suggestion. Just hear me out. If we could Dream with the colonists and the crew on the ship, we could try to avoid a disaster when they get here."

Alonzo and Uly nodded their heads in agreement. By that point, everyone in the group had had some experience Dreaming with the Terrians, though usually not intentionally. It had come in handy on several occasions. Magus, Mazatl, Denner, and True were even learning to communicate effectively with the Terrians through Alonzo's instruction.

"What we need are some hibernating Terrians." The local Terrians near New Pacifica had told Uly that they usually spent winter hibernating with other tribes in cooler climates. Their synthetic role with the land in this warm coastal environment was complemented somehow by the ocean-dwelling Aquans. Uly wasn't quite sure how it worked, but it meant the Terrians took off in winter, even if the weather was nothing compared to the cold they had experienced at winter camp. The Terrians had also told Uly that he was welcome to join them. John wouldn't let him.

"We should also make contact with the Elder and his colony. Maybe we could work on a deal with them. Get some help out here. While we're there, we can use the sleeping Terrians to contact the ship before winter's over. We can also use the trip to check on Devon."

"If we use the spider caves that we know about, it should only take about a month."

"Or maybe two… Station time," Yale added. John had been consulting with him for a while now about his plan.

"I don't like the idea of us splitting up," Magus stated, stepping forward.

Walman crossed his arms. "Yeah, really. Things have finally been kinda normal for a few months. We need every pair of hands we've got."

"I'm going. You can vote on who's gonna join me," Danziger announced. True looked around at the group. Her father had already had a talk with her and Uly, but she wasn't too sure about all this. A month was a long time.

Julia crossed her arms. "Well, using the spider caves _would_ be an improvement over traveling over land. And you'd move more quickly if there were just a few of you. I don't like the idea of breaking up the group, either. But if we just let the colonists arrive with no warning, there would be chaos. All the advances we've made with the Terrians and Grendlers would be undermined. We need to make sure the colonists will trust us and listen to us when they get here," Julia stated.

Finally, it was decided that Uly and Mazatl would join Danziger on the trip. John knew how important it would be for Uly to meet the Elder and commune with the sleeping Terrians. He also hoped Uly would be reassured by a visit to his mother. He was relieved that Mazatl would be joining him. He was least likely to get on his nerves on such a long trip and was the most experienced with Dreaming aside from Uly and Alonzo. Alonzo would stay in New Pacifica in case they needed a liaison on the Dreamplane.

"Alright, it's settled. If we don't make it back…"

"Shut up, Danziger," Alonzo laughed. "True may have always wanted a cat, but you've got as many lives as one. Just stay on gear as long as you can, and Dream back to us when you get the chance."

It was Danziger's turn to laugh. "You know I'm not much for that Dreaming stuff. I'll leave that to Uly and Mazatl."

The group ended up hanging out on the beach the rest of the afternoon, taking advantage of the beautiful day. They discussed plans for Danziger's trip, but most of them were just grateful for an afternoon off from manual labor.

"John, I want to go with you, but I know I should stay here, just in case. But when you get to Devon…" Julia lowered her eyes. "When you get to Devon, make sure you record everything you possibly can. You know I'm not much for Dreaming, either, but maybe Uly can contact Alonzo…"

"Everything will be fine." Danziger placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know you haven't had much of a chance to look into Devon's illness lately. Don't beat yourself up over it. When the colony ship gets here, you'll have more than enough help and equipment to figure this out. The fact that any of us made it here at all is a miracle. Couldn't have done it without you."

Julia met his eyes. "Thanks. That means a lot. Make sure you tell Vasquez that if you Dream with him." Julia smiled. She was more than a little worried about the doctors on the colony ship not appreciating her knowledge of the planet. But part of John's plan was to "knock some sense" into the doctors, the parents, the crew, and even the kids before they even woke up.

"And…if anything's happened to Devon's sleep chamber…," Julia whispered.

Danziger dropped his arms. "Listen, there's been a lot of _ifs_ since we crashed on this rock. But that's not one I'm allowing any of us to even consider."

"I know. I know, you're right."

"Anyway, the group's gonna be looking to you and Yale to make decisions around here while we're gone. Don't let me and Devon down, alright? Keep 'em in line. No beach breaks 'til they get their work done."

Julia laughed. "Ok, Dad," she said, rolling her eyes and attempting her best impression of True.

"And that's why Alonzo's staying here… Gotta keep the power from going to your head."

Julia gave him a soft shove. "Just come back in one piece, Danziger."

John, Uly, and Mazatl made their way to the closest viable spider cave a week later…

-------

The Elder was happy to see them, but not surprised, of course. He'd known they were in the area. He wasn't surprised to hear their plan, either. And he obviously knew about what had happened to Devon and Eden Advance, if only vaguely. John didn't want to ask how.

"Well, it does seem like the best solution to your problem. But Dreaming in this way is not an exact science. You have so much information to pass to the colonists in order to prevent the insubordination you seem to fear upon their arrival."

The Elder sat on a brightly colored woven blanket draped over a stone bench. A small fire crackled nearby. The boy, whom the Elder jokingly referred to as "Shadow," stood behind him, listening. Shadow looked intensely at Uly, but not unkindly. John sat with Mazatl, drinking a coffee-like sludge that was slowly but surely warming them up.

"_Insubordination_? Wait a minute, I didn't say anything about _insubordination_. We're just worried about a thousand people showing up expecting two-years-worth of colony set up for them. Expecting a hospital, running water, agriculture, homes…"

"And you're worried they will rise against you in their confusion and disappointment?" the Elder offered.

"Well, yeah… Yeah, maybe insubordination isn't too far off then."

Mazatl cleared his throat. "We're planning to contact the pilot and chief medical officer first. They will be the first ones awakened. We could advise them to keep most of the colonists in cold sleep. We could get building materials and other supplies shuttled to us down on the ground. That way we could have more to offer the families when they arrive in small groups over time," Mazatl stated, warming his hands on the clay mug.

John stood and stretched. It had been a long walk in the snow from the last of the spider caves on their route. He was suddenly very aware that he'd be hitting forty in the not too distant future, and he'd been through a lot in the past year and a half. Every joint hurt. "We just have to make sure the crew understands they can't just cut and run. We'll be needing their help down here. Maybe it won't be too hard to convince them. I'm sure many of them will be worried about the fact that they left the Stations without the Council's blessing. About a half century will have passed by the time they get home, but the bureaucrats in the Council have a long memory."

The Elder nodded. "I have tried to reach Council members on the Stations. I haven't found one who has been very…receptive. Perhaps that could be on one of your future agendas."

"That's not a bad idea. But first things first. We have an offer for you that we'll also be offering the crew of the colony ship. We know many of them weren't planning on setting foot on this planet, but we believe it would be the opportunity of their lives to settle here with the colonists. I trust you, and I trust that you'd know if there's anyone in your ranks who might be a good fit for New Pacifica. We could sure use the help. In return, once the colony ship arrives, we could probably send a few teachers your way to help out with the kids here. Maybe a doctor."

The Elder smiled. "That is very generous. Our group has been expanding, that is true. And some of the younger men and women have been anxious to explore the world outside. I can think of seven or eight who would be suited for such a task."

Uly sat silently, taking in the caves. They were different from any Terrian caves he'd seen. Different from the ones they'd been calling home at New Pacifica. These colonists lived in peace with the Terrians. The only way the colonists on the ship were going to survive is if they understood that connection. As close as he had felt to the Terrians and the planet lately, he was becoming overwhelmed by the severity of the situation. Over a thousand humans leaving their mark on the planet. The potential for disaster and destruction was too high to leave to chance. Uly was anxious to get started with the Dreaming.

As if sensing his thoughts, the Elder smiled at Uly. "Uly, you remind me so much of your mother. I'm sure she would be very proud to see your commitment to your new colony."

Uly smiled shyly. "I guess so."

John walked over to Uly and squeezed his shoulder. "This kid's gonna do great things. We're all proud of him."

John winked at Uly before grabbing his hand and lifting him up out of his seat. "Now, I don't wanna be rude, but it's been a long trip. Let's eat!"

--------

True was trying to help her dad in the kitchen, but it wasn't like the old days working on the vehicles together. There had been so many times when she could anticipate his thoughts. So many times when they'd worked together without having to share a word. But this was different. She had no idea what he was trying to do.

"Why do you want me to melt butter?" she asked, scraping some into a small bowl.

"It's for the… You know what, True? How about you sit at the table and keep Yale company." John was busy sautéing, and he didn't need the distractions.

True glared at him, sighed dramatically, and sat at the table.

"Uly gets to help," she muttered, just loudly enough for Yale to hear. She cleared her throat, and very consciously adjusted her posture. Raising her voice, she cooed, "I would _love_ to keep Yale company. And I'd rather be _surprised_ by your meal tonight, Dad. I'm sure it will be _absolutely_ delicious."

John rolled his eyes and turned to Uly to see his reaction. Uly was still chopping away, an enormous pile of various chopped vegetables sitting in a large bowl next to him. John came over to stand beside him.

"Woah, kid, did you chop up every vegetable we've got?"

He hadn't called him "kid" since the last time he ran away. Uly blinked at the bowl as if seeing it for the first time. "Oh, um, I guess so."

John placed a hand on Uly's arm before taking the knife out of his hand. "How about you join the others at the table. You've been a great help tonight."

Uly nodded, wiping his hands clean. He just didn't know how to act anymore. Everything at home just seemed so mundane since his time with the Terrians. And difficult. Being around humans after spending so much time in the tranquility of the Dreamplane was painful. He felt too much. His emotions were too strong. He could barely think, barely Dream. And after the Terrians had given him their stiff warning, he realized that it was very possible that he could fail them. That he could become an Outcast like Mary.

It had all been so simple when he was a little kid. When his ability to Dream had saved New Pacifica before it had even had a chance to truly start. When his abilities made him a hero instead of a freak.

As he slowly walked to the table, he thought back to the first time he had visited the Underground. The first time he had Dreamed with the colonists.

-------

Mazatl and Uly had spent several days contacting various sleeping passengers on the colony ship. The intensity of their messages was exhausting, but it was also exhilarating. They truly felt they were making progress.

Danziger spent most of that time meeting the people the Elder had chosen to accompany them to New Pacifica. John wasn't surprised that the Elder had made thoughtful decisions. They all seemed intelligent, pleasant, strong, and enthusiastic. Three women, four men, none over thirty. He assumed they'd all been born on G889.

After one of Uly's particularly lengthy sessions Dreaming through the hibernating Terrians, John quietly interrupted. "Uly? Uly, give it a rest. We're still going to be here a couple more days. Take a break."

Uly barely heard him, but broke contact with the Terrian. "Some of them… Some of them…didn't make it," he whispered.

John pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Seventeen. Seventeen of the Syndrome kids." Uly choked out the words. John wasn't sure how Uly was able to figure that out, but took him at his word.

John didn't know what to say. He knew there had been a chance some of them wouldn't survive the trip, but seventeen? How would their parents be able to handle it? As he held Uly's shaking form, John felt tears welling up. Would they lose more children keeping them in cold sleep longer? Would the other parents be convinced to let the Terrians heal their children? Was there another bomb on their ship? Any kind of sabotage? The questions had been keeping him up at night.

Uly finally stopped shaking and took a deep breath. He had left a spot on the front of John's shirt, where he had been crying. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be such a baby."

John bent down to look Uly in the eye. "You're brave. You're an Adair. You wanted the best for those kids, just like your mom did. And I'm sure some of them were your friends. You have a good heart, Uly. Your Dreaming with the colonists is going to help make New Pacifica work. But if it ever becomes too difficult or too painful, I won't think any less of you if you need to stop."

John stood up straight and started rubbing his lower back. "And one day, I'm not gonna have to bend over to talk to you. You've grown, what, a foot since we got to New Pacifica?"

Uly smiled and wiped away his tears. John always knew exactly what to say. Uly suddenly remembered, with a little embarrassment, another similar moment of comfort. Sometime between the time they had left his mother behind and when they reached New Pacifica, Uly had awakened John with his crying. True just kept on snoring, but John came over and sat on Uly's bed, stroking his head. "It's ok, Uly." Uly was still so small, so young. He held onto John like his life depended on it, sobbing so hard he couldn't even get a single sound out. He had no idea how long they stayed like that, John patting his back, slowly rocking him back and forth. Like a baby, Uly thought later. But he never cried that hard again after that. Once he had exhausted himself, he began to doze off, still in John's arms. Once John thought it had passed, he held him a little longer before settling him back down onto the bed and lifting his covers up to his chin. Uly sniffed a couple of times before sighing loudly. John bent down to kiss his forehead. He couldn't even imagine the pain the kid must have been going through.

"Can I call you Dad?" Uly whispered without opening his eyes.

John was taken aback. He wasn't even sure if Uly was awake or not.

"I'd be proud if you called me that. But I don't think your mom would like it very much," John laughed quietly.

Uly smiled and gave a small giggle. He then began to breathe deeply, a smile still on his face.

"How about you meet up with Shadow and grab some grub."

John's statement shook Uly out of his reverie. John just thought he was dazed from Dreaming all day.

"Sure, ok." Uly began to head toward the exit of the cave. Before he did, he turned around. "Thanks, John. I think my mom would be really proud of you, too."

John felt his heart sink as Uly left to meet his friend. He sat on the stone slab that had once been his recovery bed. It seemed like a lifetime ago. He stared at the sleeping Terrians absentmindedly.

"Have you tried it yet?" the Elder asked, standing in the cave entrance.

"What?"

"Have you tried Dreaming?"

"Not interested."

"Perhaps you have a gift. You'll never know if you don't try."

John shook his head and gave a small laugh. "You sound like Yale," he stated without turning around.

"Ah, yes, Yale. Devon's friend."

The Elder noticed John's quick intake of breath at the mention of Devon's name.

"You could try…" The Elder hesitated. He knew John well enough to expect resistance to his suggestion. "You could try _Dreaming_ with her, John."

"What? No way." John turned his head slightly to the Elder, but did not turn his body to face him. "What the hell would that do?" He turned his gaze back to the Terrian before him. "It's sick."

"Is it? Uly and Mazatl have been Dreaming with the colonists for days. Is that sick?"

"That's different."

"How?"

"There's, I don't know… There's a purpose to it."

"And there would not be a purpose to your Dreaming with Devon?"

"Not really. So I could tell her we still have no idea what's wrong with her? That she might never wake up? That her kid is growing up without her? Or, even better, I could tell her that seventeen Syndrome kids are already dead… Then she can just relax in her little sleep chamber that could be invaded by penal colonists or nosy Grendlers any second." John had gotten up to stand in front of one of the Terrians. "What do you make of that? What purpose would that serve? You might think it's perfectly alright to force yourself into someone else's mind when they're at their most vulnerable, but I just think it's creepy."

"There would be a purpose. But you are afraid it would be self-serving."

"Oh, please. All that stuff you told me. About how I was in love with Devon. You're not gonna let that go, are you?"

The Elder smiled. "So, you remember the ravings of a crazy old man?"

It was John's turn to laugh. "How could I forget something like that. I've been through some weird stuff since I got to this planet, but what you said stuck in my craw for weeks. Just made me angry."

"Only weeks? Disappointing."

John knew there was no use hiding anything from the Elder. John wasn't the type to get in touch with his feelings, let alone share them with anyone else. But he knew the Elder could be trusted. And the Elder might even be able to help him understand.

"What'll happen if I do it… What happens if I try to Dream?" John asked quietly, barely recognizing his own voice. What was he so afraid of?

The Elder moved closer to him. "It's up to you. But it isn't an invasion. Uly and Mazatl have had the most success contacting people they know on the ship. Or people who know others from your group. But even then, some people on the colony ship are not receptive to such contact. It usually helps if two 'souls,' if you will, are out searching for something while they dream. Searching for answers, for help, even for friendship."

"Will she remember?" John asked. What the hell was he thinking? This was ridiculous. There was no way he was going to do something this idiotic.

"You'll see. Sometimes you only remember a feeling. An emotion. A presence. Sometimes you remember an entire conversation."

John was silent.

"Perhaps it will make you feel more comfortable if I told you I have Dreamed with Devon."

John turned and looked at him sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The Elder smiled. "John, it was much more innocent than you seem to assume. Several months after the last time I saw you, I tried to Dream with both of you and check on the status of your group. It was then that I learned that Devon had somehow been placed in cold sleep. And that you had continued your journey."

"Wait a minute, you Dreamed with me, too? I don't remember that."

"I was not looking for details or a chat. I only touched the corner of your mind, sensed that you were still traveling and moving further away."

"So, Devon… What…"

"I sensed that she had been ill. But she is not suffering, John. She is asleep. She is at peace. She is not conscious, the way you seem to fear. If you Dream with her, she will not awaken trapped in her capsule."

John swallowed hard. The guy could always read his mind.

"John, you have nothing to lose. So much to gain. What are you afraid of?"

John turned to the Terrian again. "Could you leave for a little bit?" he asked.

"Certainly." The Elder smiled and left the room.

John contemplated the Terrian. If someone had told him two years ago that one day he'd be standing in front of an alien about to try to visit Devon Adair's dreams, he would've punched their lights out. But a lot had happened to him since them.

John reached out a hand. It was shaking. For some reason, he tugged at his clothes, making sure they were straight. He laughed to himself. It's not like he was knocking on her damn door to ask her out on a date, for chrissakes.

Just do it. Suck it up and do it. Quit being such a…

He quickly placed his hand on the Terrian as he had seen Uly and Mazatl do countless times. He held Devon in his mind. Every facet of her. Angry Devon. Loving Devon. Bossy Devon. Even the elusive playful Devon. The mother. The friend. The leader.

And there she was. It wasn't at all like any of his other Dreamplane experiences which were all movement, shadows, confusion, and a healthy dose of fear. Being in physical contact with the sleeping Terrian brought things into crystal clear focus. And it was bright and clean. Devon was before him. It wasn't at all like he had expected. It wasn't like standing in front of her. It was like sharing a space. It was more than Devon, it was…her everything. He simply looked at her. She was perfect here. Perfectly healthy. Perfectly strong. Perfectly beautiful. It was peaceful here. All of his worries fell away. He had thought she would be surprised to see him. That she would begin with a barrage of questions about Uly, about the colony. But they didn't have to speak. The look he saw in her eyes was more than enough. It was acceptance. It was trust. It was love.

"John?" a distant voice called.

John forced himself away from the Terrian and stumbled back, shaken to the core.

"What the hell?" he gasped.

"I'm sorry, John," Uly said, worried that he had startled John while he was conducting important business. "It's just that it's getting late, and we were worried when you didn't show up for dinner. The Elder asked if I'd check on you. He thought you might be in here."

"Wait, what? It's that late?"

"Yeah, you weren't Dreaming this whole time, were you?"

"Well, I guess I was. It didn't seem like it, though. Seemed like it was just a few seconds." Or a lifetime, he thought to himself. What the hell?

"Wow, that's really good. Maybe you can help us Dream some more tomorrow. You can probably help us contact some more people in the crew. Find out about bombs or sabotage or something."

"Oh, I think it's a sign that I'm not very good at it at all."

"How many people were you able to contact in that many hours?"

"What? How many?" John was still a little light-headed.

"Yeah." Uly was starting to get worried.

"Oh, um, one. An old friend. Guess we got talking and time just flew by."

"Oh, ok." Uly thought that was strange. He'd been able to communicate pretty complicated things with people very quickly. Dreaming was faster than talking. But the Elder had told him everyone Dreams differently. Maybe John wasn't so good at it after all.

Uly smiled. Of course John couldn't be good at _everything_. "We saved you some dinner. Hungry?"

John couldn't help but look at Uly in a new light. He had always taken his responsibility for Uly very seriously. But after this experience with Devon, he now felt an even deeper connection.

"Sure, kid. I'm starving." John placed a hand on Uly's shoulder and steered him out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Uly sat at the kitchen table. Dreaming with the colonists seemed like so long ago. Their plan had worked, luckily. The colony was a success for the most part, aside from Andrew Hunter's rebellion and a few other mishaps. Why couldn't he just be happy about it? He stared at the flowers on the table. Was that Kate's stupid vase? Ugh. She was an "artist." Useless for the colony, really. Everything had been fine until she started coming around. Trying to make John notice her. Making True stupid little trinkets. She tried to make friends with Uly, but after a while, she didn't bother anymore. She must have known better. He could see right through her. Uly felt guilty at the thought. Her daughter Anna had been one of the Syndrome children who hadn't made it.

True had started setting the table. "Hey, Yale, why don't you tell us a story," True suggested.

Yale raised an eyebrow. She hadn't asked for a story in a very long time.

"What kind of story would you like to hear, True?"

"I don't know. Not one of those history stories. That feels like school sometimes."

Yale laughed. "Alright, no history."

"And no literature. You know, like Shakespeare. We can save those for when the solar panels are on the fritz."

Uly was intrigued and would have welcomed any distractions from his own dark thoughts. "Yeah, Yale. How about a true story? One you've never told us before."

True tried to hide her enthusiasm, afraid Yale would back out. "Yeah… How about a story about Devon Adair?"

She uttered the name as though Devon Adair were a mythological character. As though she weren't the same woman True herself had traveled countless klicks with. As though she weren't the reason the four of them found themselves living together under one roof as a family. A currently dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless.

Yale's smile faltered. Uly pushed his curls out of his eyes, knocking the flower behind his ear askew. John continued mulling around the kitchen, but he was listening intently.

"Oh, well, True. I've told you stories about Devon before."

"Yeah, but tell us one we don't already know. You knew her for like a hundred years. I bet you have some good ones."

Yale turned to Uly to check his reaction. "Sure, whatever. That sounds good. Yeah, tell us one we don't know."

Yale was at a loss. Even though he was slowly uncovering part of Brayden Croix's life, he was still a tutor at heart. Whether it was programming or something more innate, he wasn't sure. It was difficult for him to tell a story not imbued with various lessons, but this time he needed a story to make the children, John, and even himself forget their current troubles. Even if it would be at Devon's expense. They certainly weren't her proudest moments…or his for that matter. And lately these memories had been floating just below the surface of this thoughts.

Yale took a chance. Yes, Devon would definitely kill him. But there would be no real harm in sharing the small story, would there?

"Well, when Devon was sixteen…," Yale began.

"Oooo, this is gonna be good!" John hooted from behind the counter.

"Dad!" True warned. If he was going to be obnoxious like that, Yale would never share his story.

Yale took another sip of his drink and sat up straight, ready to begin his story. "When Devon was sixteen, she was sent to boarding school on Valhalla."

"Valhalla Station?" Uly's eyes widened. "Wow."

"You're surprised?" John snorted. Valhalla didn't even have lower levels. Typical Adairs. Must've been nice…

"Yes, well, it was beautiful, indeed. And Milton Heights was the best boarding school credits could buy."

"Of course," John muttered.

"Dammit, Dad, don't ruin Yale's story!"

Usually John would admonish True's language, especially at the dinner table, but he knew he sounded like a jackass.

Yale cleared his throat. "So, Devon was sent to boarding school…"

"Wait, so what was she doing _before_ that?" True asked, realizing she was interrupting like her father but wanting as much information as possible.

Yale sighed. "Alright, let me start from the beginning. Let's see. As a small child, Victor and Sarah, Uly's grandparents, would take Devon with them on their various business trips and projects. She saw most of the Adair stations when she was a child. However, when she was eight, her parents decided she needed some stability. They acquired a Yale and began to leave her at home more and more often when they had to travel."

"How could they just leave their kid like that?" True asked.

"They were busy, True," Uly answered with a glare.

"So what. Why'd they even have a kid if they weren't even gonna take care of her? The Council should've taken her away."

"Let's let Yale continue his story, True," John advised. He gave Yale a sympathetic nod. He had grown up thinking Devon was a spoiled rich girl, but one thing he never doubted since he'd gotten to know her was that her parents must've done something right.

"Well, True, it was not an easy decision for them to make. They loved Devon very much. But when she became a teenager, she began…acting out."

"I knew this was gonna be good."

"Dad, stop!"

"Yes, well, she had the money, the celebrity. Her parents felt guilty for leaving her so much, so they were having trouble disciplining her. But what I saw was a sad, lonely child. I did what I could, but I could not replace her parents."

John caught Yale's eye and gave him a look. He wasn't in the mood to get preached at.

Yale returned a half-smile before he continued. True was enraptured. And Uly was at least listening.

"After her third arrest, her parents decided she needed a new group of friends. I reminded them that Devon did not have many friends. She was so secluded. Girls tried to be her friend, but they only wanted a piece of her fortune and celebrity. Boys began to notice her, but her security detail had grown to an intimidating degree. Her acts of vandalism and arson were conducted the few times she was able to escape them…and me. Her parents were able to bury the records of her run-ins with the law."

John's mouth hung open. He'd heard some gossip from the holovids his mom loved so much, but he never thought in a million years any of it had been true. He suddenly remembered one vid they had played over and over around that time. Devon Adair, head shaved on one side, the other side dyed blue and hanging in her face. Tight shirt. Tighter skirt. Hand outstretched, trying to avoid the recorders. He hadn't actually believed it had been her. Her parents had denied it. Had the holovid hostess fired for slander. Wow. Devon Adair.

-------

"Why do you watch this junk, Mom?"

"Gimme a break, Johnny. I work three jobs, so what if I like to escape a little bit with these stupid vids."

She was sitting in their cramped quarters, legs curled under herself, cup in one hand. She hadn't had a night off in weeks.

John threw his jacket into his bunk. "Yeah, but don't you ever get sick of it? The Bashirs, the Adairs, the shankin' Yamamotos? How can you look at those stupid vids of their parties, their glammed out shuttles, their…"

She just laughed. "Relax, kid. Really, you'll die young worrying like that. Listen, the Danzigers got the short end of the stick, alright. But would you rather be earthside?" She looked over her shoulder at him. "I didn't think so."

"It's just not right, is all." John kicked off his work boots and fell into his bunk.

"You sound like your old man," she laughed, taking a sip and returning to her stories.

John felt his throat tighten at the thought of his father. Three years was a long time. The official word from the Council was that he was _missing in action_. John wished they would just hurry up and declare him dead already.

"You're awful quiet tonight, Johnny. How about I make you some dinner?"

"Nah, that's alright. I'll just grab some spirulina."

"Alright, now I _know_ there's something wrong," she sighed, pausing the vid.

John was a second away from pulling his curtain closed but thought better of it.

"Johnny, I know these past few years have been hard… But we've always made it through, right, kid?"

John swallowed the lump in his throat. Damn Council.

"Listen, either there's a miracle and your father is found alive, or they declare him dead, we finally get that compensation, and we're that much closer to working off some of this damn debt."

John knew she didn't mean for it to sound so harsh. It was a hard reality that he had been facing for three long years. John sat up in his bunk and pushed the curls out of his face.

"Mom… I gotta tell you something. Promise you won't get mad."

"Honey, you know I don't make promises." She stood by his bunk and crossed her arms. "All I can promise is that whatever dumb thing you're about to confess isn't going to make me not love you."

"I joined up."

Her face fell. "Why the hell would you go and do something like that?" she breathed.

"If I serve three years, I can get your payments down. It's only three years."

"Only _three_ years? You _know_ how long three years is!" she shouted. "You're only seventeen, Johnny. I'm not gonna lose my husband _and_ my son to…_them_. Really, kid, sometimes you make me so mad, I could just…"

"Mom, it's not a big deal. I'll probably just end up fixing freighters and shuttles."

"That just shows how little you know about how this works. I know damn well you could keep those things flying, but you don't have the schooling. Plain and simple. There's plenty of men that will. An inexperienced drone like you will just be cannon fodder for those people in the holovids you were just sniping about!"

John reached down to grab his boots.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Going for a walk," he muttered, trying to get his boots on before he lost his nerve.

"The hell you are! Joining up is not gonna bring your father back! He's dead, Johnny! Those bastards killed him, and they don't even have the guts to give us what's rightfully ours!"

John stood and gave his Mom a long, hard look. He knew she was right. She was right about everything.

His face softened, and he placed his hands on her shoulders. She'd always been a tall, forbidding figure, but right now she looked so frail, so much older than her years. "Mom, I can't stand you working three jobs just so I can go to school instead of some pathetic VR classroom. And soon enough I'll be too old to keep working in the factory every day. I'll have to take whatever job I can get, even if it's far away from here. And I'm gonna have to get my own quarters sooner or later. But if I do my three years, I'll have a chance. _We'll_ have a chance. We're never gonna get our heads above water if we keep going like this."

She let out a laugh. "Now that's an expression I haven't heard in a while. Like you've ever seen that much water." She was smiling now. She placed her hands on his and pulled them in front of her. "I know you're capable of great things, kid. And I'm not just saying that because I'm your mother."

John rolled his eyes. "You've been saying that since I was five."

"Well, I still mean it," she said, bringing his hand up to press her lips to it. "You're still my little baby."

"Yeah, well, I already signed up. Can't turn back."

"When do you report?"

"Two weeks."

"I'm gonna miss these curls," she said softly, pushing them off his face. "A haircut is one thing your dad would've been happy about. You picked a pretty dumb way to get one, though."

She just couldn't be mad at him. He was right… It was too late. She just offered a silent prayer that he would come home. And that he wouldn't get suckered into joining up with whatever ramshackle drone rebellion came along, like the one his father had been sent to quell. _Missing in action, my ass,_ she thought.

She sighed. "Well, I'll just have to take a couple days off. We'll do something special. Go to the boardwalk or something. Now, take those damn boots off. You're not going anywhere but to sleep. You have school and work tomorrow." She turned back to sit in front of her paused vids.

John slowly sat down and removed his boots, not sure of what to say. Before he lied back down in his bunk, he caught a glimpse of the stupid vid. His mother was laughing softly to herself. He loved to see her laugh. Maybe the vids weren't so bad after all.

"Who the hell is that?" he asked. The girl on the screen had her palm out, trying to block the recorder. He couldn't make out her face, but he saw enough to know she was pissed. And, damn, what was up with that outfit? That girl was fine.

"Oh, _now_ you're interested. Typical boy. _That_ is one of the Adair kids. Victor or Walter's, I guess. Or so they claim. I seriously doubt they'd let one of them leave home looking like that."

"Yeah, really. And that shankin' hair."

"Oh, I know. And if we're lucky they'll show that clip again of Ava Dubois eating pavement at her premiere."

John laughed. They spent the rest of the night watching the vids and making catty comments. The people in the gossip vids might have been rich and famous, but they really looked pretty miserable. Not that he felt sorry for them. But it was reassuring somehow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

True was shocked. "Why were you sitting on this one, Yale? All those times you told us stories about World War III, and we could've been listening to this?"

To Yale's relief, Uly was smiling.

"Well, True, I bet Devon wanted to wait until Uly was a little older to share these stories. You know, teach him some life lessons or something. Hopefully she'll tell some soon herself," John added.

"Yes, John. That would be wonderful." Yale was relieved to hear John speak so freely about Devon lately. It hadn't been that long ago that Yale had encouraged John to pursue a relationship with Kate. "Devon may never return," Yale had said simply, knowing John would understand the implications of his statement. It was only then that John would confess to Yale that after three and a half years of no success, he thought Devon would never wake up. That he was only humoring the children. Yale knew enough about John's past to understand that he was trying to make it easier on himself should something go wrong. But he also knew the more time that passed meant there was less of a chance of Devon recovering…or Devon's ability to adjust to all of the changes she had missed while in cold sleep. It was a reality Yale had just started to come to terms with.

But ever since Julia had made her announcement, Devon had become a real person again. Less a ghost, and more like a friend who was on her way home.

"So, then what happened?" True could barely contain herself.

Yale had to chuckle at True's enthusiasm. "Well, her parents decided to send her to Milton Heights, where she could attend school with other…fortunate children. The Adairs hoped the students would be good examples for her. They knew she was an intelligent girl, and they hoped the academic competition would challenge her."

"Yale, I don't want to hear a story about school, either."

"Patience, child. I was just getting started. Now, when we arrived at Valhalla, Devon felt like it was even more of a prison than her home had been. But she has always been flexible. And soon enough, she excelled in her classes and even made a few friends. Unfortunately, she found great pleasure in trouncing the other students in class. Of course, that led to trouble for me. Many of the children and some of the teachers assumed I was helping her too much. And by that point, many of them feared me."

Yale felt himself looking into the past. A past he did not visit very often. But the children did not seem to mind this digression. "Some of the children had had to send their own Yale tutors away for fear their memory wipes would not hold. They resented the fact that Devon was somehow allowed to keep me. You see, now that I know more of my own history, I believe that most of the Yales did not have a criminal past at all. That we were being punished for disobeying the Council. And we have seen it here on this planet. Researchers who were working in the name of science, who hoped to save Earth with their studies… They were branded criminals, too."

"It's not fair. I don't understand how the Council got away with being so awful all the time," True said angrily.

"They did good things, too, True. And not everyone in the Council was bad," Uly retorted.

Again, John wanted to break things up before they really got started. "Well, let's just be thankful for what we've got now, alright?"

"But we have to be ready for them when they show up, right, Dad? I mean, they could be orbiting right now. Or maybe they sent a ship a few years after we left the stations… Or maybe some of the Council members that left with Andrew Hunter will get together and…"

Yale spoke slowly, hoping to allay True's fears. "Child, those are all very real possibilities. But we have a power they could not foresee. We have become a part of this planet. Some more than others," he added, smiling at Uly.

Uly was playing with his fork. Part of the planet. His teeth clenched.

Although she had been passionate about it a moment before, True was getting bored with the politics discussion. And she definitely did not want the conversation to get steered towards the Terrians for Uly's sake. "So, anyway, Devon was in boarding school?"

-----

Devon ate lunch alone that day. Stupid Soren Sorensen. They were all idiots anyway. So why did it hurt so much?

Things had finally been going well for her. She finally trusted some of her new friends enough to confide in them. And the first thing they did was turn their backs on her. Even Yale had been acting weird. He kept insisting she spend more time with the other students. Telling her she should join some clubs, participate in social activities. She had been trying. She really had been. But she couldn't win. If she did badly in class, she got in trouble. If she did well, they were all suspicious of her and Yale. If she stayed in her quarters, she was a loner. If she tried to make friends… Well, she'd seen how well _that_ turned out. She couldn't even talk to Yale anymore. He just didn't understand. And she didn't even know where her parents were this week.

She poked at her plate. She could hear Soren making stupid jokes with his friends. It was official, she thought. Money could not buy brains.

She decided to stay put until the other students had left the dining room so she wouldn't have to interact with them. She noticed some of the teachers cast glances her way before exiting. It hadn't taken long for the teachers to agree that it was best to pick their battles with her. Devon Adair never gave up.

Finally alone, she noticed one of the kitchen drones standing furtively in the doorway, obviously waiting for her to finish so he could start cleaning up after them. He would just have to wait, she thought. She took her time sipping her drink, wiping her mouth genteelly. She watched him, challenging him to enter the room. He avoided her stare, but eventually he was prodded into the dining room by someone behind him.

He sighed and reluctantly pushed his cart into the room.

"Hey, you!" Devon called out immediately, pushing her plate toward the center of the table.

The young man sighed again and briefly closed his eyes. After a moment, he turned towards her. "Yes, miss?"

"Come here."

As he walked toward her, she could read a spectrum of feelings in his expression. Anger, fear, curiosity. And the one she was really looking for…desire.

"What's your name?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"Winters…"

"Come on, your first name…"

Fear became the prominent feature on his face. "Isaac."

Just what she hoped. "Listen, Isaac, I've heard about you."

Yup, that was fear alright. Good. He did not reply.

"I'll get you one hundred credits," she whispered.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, starting to turn back toward his cart.

"Come on. Help me out… Please?" she pleaded quietly.

Isaac's eyes darted back toward the kitchen doorway. "You shouldn't be talking to me. I'm going to get in trouble."

"Geez, Isaac. Fine. Two hundred credits. Yours."

Isaac gulped audibly. But after a deep breath, he seemed to steel himself. Anger came to the forefront. "It's not a matter of money, Miss Adair."

"Oh, so you know who I am."

Isaac clenched his fists in frustration. "You put that much in my account, I'm as good as dead."

"You drive a hard bargain. Three hundred."

"Are you crazy? Are you even listening to me?"

"You got Sorensen out of here to see his stupid girlfriend. I know all about it. How much do I have to give you?"

He shook his head in disbelief.

"Fine. Ok, we won't do credits. Just tell me what you want. I can get it for you."

"I don't want anything from you. Listen, I can't do it. I can't risk it."

Devon sat back for a moment until it finally hit her. "You know what you can't risk, Isaac?" She slowly pushed herself up from the table. "You can't risk me turning you in, can you? You don't want credits or supplies? Fine."

Isaac finally snapped. "Listen, Miss Adair," he hissed. "If I get you out of here and you get caught, I'm dead. My mom will get kicked back to the Quadrant, and my family will never get out of debt. Not just that, but think about what that would mean for your Yale or for the guys on Heights security. It's not just about you, you know."

Devon was taken aback. This was a turn she was not anticipating. He was completely right. "But I won't get caught," she growled.

"What the hell is out there that you need to see so bad? This place isn't enough for you? Your cushy quarters, your servants, your VR rooms? And you'll have this the rest of your life. You don't even know what you have, and you want to throw it away."

"I just…" Why was she defending herself to this drone. "I just need to get out of here. Just for a little bit. I'll worry about the rest."

"No, Adair." He turned away, walked to his cart, and began clearing the tables.

Devon wasn't sure what had gone wrong. Isaac's resistance only made her want to escape even more than before.

------

Devon decided it would be best to lie low for a while. She was polite to the teachers, performed her tasks, and smiled at the other girls. But whenever she had a moment to herself, she plotted her escape. This place couldn't hold her. She had tried to speak with Isaac on a few other occasions. Not to ask him for his help yet, but to try to gain his confidence. He was pretty smart, though. She didn't think it was working.

He seemed to be her only hope. And if she could only get out of this place, even for a few hours, she could… Well, it didn't matter what she did. She just needed to get out.

It had been two months since her first conversation with Isaac when she witnessed his arrest. Again, she had stayed late in the dining room, hoping to get his attention. The security officers assumed the dining hall was empty since Devon sat alone in the corner.

Her heart raced at the sight of the two large men escorting a shocked Isaac out of the kitchen, his mother standing in the doorway, pleading for his life.

Devon hesitated before standing up and briskly approaching the men. "What the hell is going on here?" she shouted.

The security officers stopped and blinked. They eyed each other in their confusion.

"I asked you a question."

"We are arresting this man. Please, miss, step aside. This is none of your concern," the smaller of the two said calmly.

"As a Citizen, I demand to know the accusation. This man needs a witness. And his mother, as an immigrant worker, does not count as one." She was glad she'd paid attention in Civics class.

Isaac glared at her, but did not interrupt.

"What are your names?" she demanded. She grabbed her gear out of her pocket and placed it on her head. She began recording.

"That won't be necessary, miss," the larger man said harshly, raising his hand to block the vid feed. He began pulling Isaac through the dining room.

"I said, I demand that you identify this man's accusation." She hurried to block their passage and adjusted her eye piece again.

The two men exchanged glances. Finally, they stopped.

"We are Officers Chen and Pulaski. Isaac Winters, immigrant worker, is accused of participating in acts of sedition against his employer, Milton Heights Academy, and the Council."

Isaac shook his head at Devon, but dared not speak.

"What acts? When?"

Chen lowered his voice and again tried to block the vid feed. "Three nights ago, he managed to bypass Heights security to attend a meeting of fellow agitators. A witness saw him on Level 3. And a witness here in the Heights can corroborate this account."

She could tell Chen wasn't really convinced himself. And Devon had an idea who those witnesses might have been. "Impossible. Tuesday night, he was with me."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. The two officers regarded her doubtfully, but did not argue with her.

"Miss Adair. Please remove your gear. Do not implicate yourself like this," Pulaski pleaded.

She pushed the eye piece back but kept it on audio. "Release this man into my recognizance at once. He has an alibi. And it sounds like it's my word against Soren Sorensen's."

Chen and Pulaski exchanged looks again. "How did you…"

"Soren Sorensen has been out to get me all year," she lied. "You would know that if you'd been doing your job. All those times I rejected his advances. He's obviously decided to get back at me by making up this silly story about the man I would rather spend my time with. And I'd bet the girl who witnessed Isaac on Level 3, who was obviously on his way to some secret terrorist meeting, was none other than Valentine Lamont, who has been trying to get Soren to notice her since before he left for Milton Heights. How would she even know there was some kind of secret cabal going on in the first place? Was she reporting this terrorist meeting, or was she simply accusing Isaac? There's obviously some logic missing here." Devon crossed her arms and raised her chin, somehow managing to look down on the two men. _Take that_, she thought.

Isaac's jaw had dropped.

Pulaski looked at Chen and gestured toward Devon with his chin. Chen nodded.

"We will have to speak with your guardian if you want the accused released into your recognizance for twenty-four hours. Until we can get some of…_this_…cleared up," Chen sighed.

Devon's confidence was shaken. Guardian?

"My parents are out of range right now. For at least three more weeks. They've gone all the way out to Io base to check on the new station."

"Well, then, we cannot release this man on the word of a minor alone."

They began pulling Isaac again, but reluctantly.

"Wait! Wait, give me a minute, please!" Devon swung her eye piece back into place and tapped the side of her gear. "Yale? Yale, could you please come down to the dining room? It's really important... Thank you so much, Yale. Please hurry." She couldn't remember the last time her heart had beat like that. She felt her palms getting sweaty. What had she gotten herself into?

"Yale is my guardian here at Milton Heights. He's on his way."

"We are well aware of your Yale, Miss Adair. We are not sure if he is legally able to serve as recognizant in this matter."

Devon removed her gear and returned it to her pocket. "Please. Please just wait until he gets here," she whispered.

Chen nodded. Isaac gazed at Devon in wonder and confusion.

They stood in silence until Yale finally arrived. In a moment, he took in the scenario.

"Devon, what is this?" He walked briskly to her side.

"Yale, you have to believe me. They're about to arrest Isaac, but I _know_ he didn't do what they say." She stood with her back toward the officers. "Please," she mouthed to Yale.

Yale took a deep breath. "This man is accused of what crime?"

Devon closed her eyes tightly as the officers recounted the accusation. They then added Devon's alibi matter-of-factly. Devon cringed, hoping Yale didn't actually believe she had been spending the night with a kitchen drone. She'd had her wild moments before getting sent to Milton Heights, but she hoped Yale realized she had more class than _that_. To her surprise, they also offered Yale her own take on the situation, which they were not required to do. This was a good sign.

"Tuesday night?" Yale asked, stroking his beard. "Yes, he was with us. He sometimes visits Tuesday nights. I have been tutoring him occasionally in exchange for extra sweets from his mother's pantry." Yale winked at the officers. "It's a little below board, but it's hardly a crime worthy of arrest." He laughed.

Devon was still facing him. She had never loved him so much in her life. And she had certainly never heard him lie. For an instant she was worried that this was a sign of a larger problem, but then decided that perhaps he could fudge the truth for her sake. He had never seemed more human.

"And a Yale wouldn't lie," Devon added, turning toward the officers. "They can't."

Devon prayed they wouldn't bother looking for video surveillance.

"She's right. And I think she's right about that Sorensen kid. He's been nothing but trouble since he got here." Chen released Isaac's arm.

"Listen, we're gonna go ahead and release him to your Yale as his recognizant for twenty-four hours. We won't push through all the paperwork, but I would advise you all to lie low for a few weeks at least. If Sorensen tries to give us any trouble, we have enough on him to change his mind," Pulaski smirked.

Isaac finally breathed. He shook out his arms. It was clear he wouldn't speak until the officers had left.

"Thank you so much, officers. I'll tell my parents that you were a huge help. You have good hearts. Oh, and I also have this exchange on gear. You know…in case you need it." Devon smiled smugly.

Chen and Pulaski nodded stiffly in return. "That is kind of you. We hope that won't be necessary."

The officers left the dining room, whispering to each other and throwing a few glances her way.

"See? No problem," Devon sang, folding her arms.

Once the officers had cleared the door, Isaac ran towards his mother, who had been standing in the doorway, her hand to her mouth. "It's ok. It's ok," he said softly, holding her as she shook.

Devon was still smiling as she turned to leave the dining room.

Yale wasn't having any of it. "You wait just a moment."

Uh-oh…

"Devon Adair. You have some explaining to do. And I am notifying your parents immediately."

"But it all got worked out."

"I have no idea _what_ just worked out. Or what I have gotten myself into. I don't even know what parts of that ridiculous story are true and which ones you conjured out of your fertile imagination. I don't need to remind you that I work for your parents, not for you. I am here to look out for you. But if you have just made me a party to one of your schemes, I… I don't think I will be able to forgive you."

Devon's face fell. "I'm sorry, Yale. I really just thought I was doing the right thing. I saw them trying to arrest Isaac, and I know Soren can be such a bully… I just had a feeling…"

"Stupid girl. You were willing to let those officers think you were spending the night with that boy? What is the matter with you?"

"But that's not even what I said to them. Plus, you covered it up really well. We're a good team, Yale. You'd rather see them drag him off to jail and his poor mom get sent back to the Quadrants?"

"That is not fair, Devon. Lying to those officers is a crime in itself. We are returning to our quarters, and you will tell me exactly what has been going on here. From the beginning. I'm notifying your parents once they are within range. And I will insist that they come speak to you…in person. As far as you are concerned, I am _your_ recognizant. And you will not leave my sight until your parents arrive. Do you understand?" he asked, pointing a finger in her face.

Devon knew better than to argue. She lowered her eyes. "Yes, Yale."

"Now go over to that poor boy and work out whatever you need to work out. You need to get your stories straight." It wasn't the first time he'd protected her against his better judgment.

Devon threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much, Yale. I'll be good. I promise."

He returned her hug before remembering that he was supposed to be angry at her. He was reminded of the first time he had met his little charge. When he was little more than a fancy toy or beloved pet to her. Those first few years were still a bit of a blur for him. He wasn't quite "himself" yet. He could have recalled the memories easily, but chose not to. He preferred to cherish the moments when Devon's feelings matured into faith and love for him as a caregiver. Her ability to humanizing him meant a great deal as it legitimized his growing role in her life. It also comforted Devon's parents, who began to see him as a partner when making decisions that would affect Devon. Devon's affection for her tutor and her eternal stubbornness and optimism had saved his life. And he was determined to protect hers, also.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Wow. Devon was so cool," True cheered.

John placed a salad on the table and tried to hold his tongue. He gave Yale a disapproving look. What kind of story was this to be telling the kids? Especially at their ages… And especially considering the circumstances. He'd had enough lying from Uly the past couple of years. The last thing he wanted was for Uly to feel justified in it.

Sure, John had shared a few stories with the kids about his own misadventures. He'd even told them a tale or two about the trouble he'd gotten into with Ellie. But at the end of the stories, there were always consequences. Because for a kid growing up in the Quadrant, or a drone just trying to hold on to whatever job some other poor sucker didn't even survive, there were always consequences. But not for Devon Adair. The drone in that story wasn't even allowed to utter a single word in his defense. To those officers, he was expendable. Just as he was to Devon Adair.

"I sure hope there's more to this story, Yale," he muttered. He gestured to True and Uly to help him bring the food out to the table. "She ended up escaping anyway, right?"

Yale blinked in surprise. He thought he had left the story on an upbeat note. But there were still many unanswered questions.

The kids looked at Yale expectantly. "Yes, John, she did."

"So what about all that stuff about promising to be good?" True asked.

"And whatever happened to that Isaac kid?" John added. He wasn't going to let Yale's story end with shankin' Devon Adair thinking how clever she was.

As they settled down to finally eat their meal, Yale closed his eyes briefly. Remembering his own hurt when he learned that Devon had not just escaped from Milton Heights once, but three times. And he swallowed hard when he thought of Isaac Winters.

He continued his story, but the mood had become somber. He was concerned that he had ruined John's special dinner, but judging from the faces around the table, he knew they were waiting for answers.

Yale had offered to tutor Isaac Tuesday evenings. At first it was to back up the story he had told the officers. But Yale enjoyed his lively discussions with Isaac as they shared dinner. Sometimes Devon joined in, but usually she eavesdropped from the other side of the room. Isaac was very intelligent and was particularly interested in politics and sociology. He seemed to be bursting with this opportunity to finally share his thoughts. He felt safe with Yale and Devon.

"But doesn't it make you angry, Yale?" Isaac asked one evening. "I mean, don't you ever think it's wrong what they did to you? Even if you committed a crime, who are they to destroy your identity?"

Yale smiled patiently. "I am not angry. I have been given a good life."

Isaac lowered his voice and regarded Yale intensely. Part of him hoped Devon couldn't hear him, the other half felt she deserved to have her eyes opened. "You're a glorified babysitter, Yale. They've pumped you full of all this information, but for what? Most of the other Yales have been terminated. They've been murdered, Yale. Even the ones who never had a mindwash failure, never committed a violent act. Pre-emptive destruction. Does that seem right to you?"

Yale's smile faltered, but he did not respond.

"Is that part of your programming, too? Not to question what they've done to you? Well, if it doesn't make you sick, allow me to feel angry for you. You deserved better than this."

Devon couldn't hear Isaac, but she could tell Yale was uncomfortable. "What are you talking about?" she called from across the room.

Yale's smile returned. "Isaac, I do so enjoy our discussions. You have a very…interesting point of view. But perhaps we should call it an evening. We will see you next Tuesday."

Isaac frowned and shook his head. "The Adairs don't own you, Yale. You might work for them, but they don't own you. Just like Milton Heights doesn't own me. But we're expendable, you and I. One false move, and either of us could be destroyed with a single word. So, forgive me if all of your lessons about human rights, social justice, and the history of the shankin' Constitution are a little hard for me to swallow." Isaac left without another word, his escort meeting him at the door, ready to return him to his quarters.

"What was all that about?" Devon asked, removing her gear.

"You know how Isaac is… his age are often idealistic."

But Yale mulled over Isaac's words. He should have been angry about his circumstances. He just couldn't muster it. When his eyes fell on Devon, he immediately felt protective. As intelligent as Yale was, it hadn't occurred to him until that moment that those feelings were part of his programming, too. He said good night to Devon, ignoring her bewildered look. As he lie awake that night, his mind reeled at the implications. Where did his cybernetic enhancements end and he begin? Would he ever know? How long would this programming hold?

------

Yale could barely control his anger when he learned Devon had gone missing. Well, he managed to control it just fine considering his programming. But he was angry, nonetheless. And hurt. He thought she had been making such progress at Milton Heights.

Once a quarter, the students participated in mandatory social service projects throughout Valhalla. Yale appreciated the school's attempt to instill such values in the children. But Isaac thought it was laughable. "The rich helping the rich," he called it. "If they really want to make a difference, they'd go down to the Quadrant at Sahara station. Or head down to Earth." Yale understood Isaac's views, but he couldn't help but worry for Isaac's future. Isaac's beliefs were safe as long he kept them inside Yale and Devon's quarters. If he began espousing them elsewhere, Yale could face the repercussions. It was widely known that Isaac was receiving private tutoring. Milton Heights didn't necessarily approve, but they hadn't seen any reason to bring their attention to it…yet.

Devon had been blossoming ever since her incident with the security officers. She had a newfound focus with her school work. And she had developed several friendships. And even though she didn't always interact with Isaac when he visited for his lessons, there was something about his presence that made her feel less lonely. Yale truly felt that she had finally turned herself around. That she was perhaps maturing into the young woman her parents and Yale hoped she would become.

So when he was notified that Devon had not returned with her service group, he hung his head in disappointment. The police were out looking for her. Her parents had been notified. The other students swore they hadn't seen anything suspicious. Yale just hoped Devon would return before the news vids could get wind of it.

Then there she was in their quarters the next day. As if nothing had happened. Yale had no idea how she managed to return without his knowing. He had been sick with worry. She could have been kidnapped and held for ransom. She could have been hurt. Now he was angry. He had spent the evening before on gear with the Adairs. They knew Devon was a handful, but they weren't above placing some of the blame on Yale.

"Where have you been?"

Devon was buzzing her teeth and was startled by Yale's sudden appearance. "I'm back now."

"How could you do something so irresponsible? After everything had been going so well? What were you thinking?"

"I got separated from the group. That's all." She stood in front of the mirror, expressionless. She reached for her brush.

Yale grabbed her arm tightly. "Don't you ever think about anyone but yourself? Your parents are worried sick. The police were out all night looking for you. Your friends were questioned when they returned. And I…"

Yale and Devon looked down at his hand around her arm. Yale's eyes widened as he pulled his hand away. But Devon's gaze remained where he had grabbed her. Yale couldn't read her expression.

They stood in silence for several moments. "I just…couldn't be around them anymore," she whispered. "The shanking service project… The students smiling and laughing. The sick kids at the hospital. The stupid news vids following us around. 'Our Future at Work…Today!' was the name of the segment. 'Our future,'" she repeated. "This just isn't right, Yale."

"You sound like Isaac," Yale said softly.

Devon gave him a sad smile. "I really am sorry, Yale. I don't know what's wrong with me. The other kids just seem so happy. Like none of this bothers them at all. But…but it's just not right. I've been trying so hard, but I just can't do it. I just can't be happy."

She turned and rested her head against his chest. She had done it again. Yale simply couldn't stay angry with her. As much as he knew he should. He put his arms around her. "We will figure this out, child. But you need to contact your parents immediately."

"Ok, but there's something I need to tell you…"

Yale took a deep breath.

"This isn't the first time I've gotten in and out of Milton Heights," she whispered, not raising her head. "Isaac got me out the first time. The second time I was able to figure it out myself."

Yale pushed her away. He had never felt so betrayed. Even if Devon had been hurting, there was simply no excuse for her lies and disobedience. She hadn't changed at all. He stormed out and headed to the communications monitor. He signaled the Adairs and stood with his arms crossed, fuming.

Devon ran to follow him. "Wait, Yale. Let me explain. Wait, let's talk about this before you talk to them!"

"So you can feed me more lies? So you can coach me in what to say to your parents? My programming may override my own best judgment when it comes to your protection, but you seem to keep forgetting something. I don't work for you, Devon. I work for your parents. And you don't own me…" As he uttered these words, Victor Adair appeared on the screen.

"Yale, what is this? Has Devon returned?" He was obviously in the middle of something. People were milling around him, shouting orders.

"She's right here, Mr. Adair."

"Put her on."

Devon slowly approached the camera. "Hello, Father," she said softly.

"I'm catching the next shuttle to Valhalla. Try not to run away before I get there. Your mother and I are very disappointed that our last visit obviously did not sink in with you. We were serious, Devon."

Devon simply nodded her head. Tears began to form in her eyes.

"Cut out the waterworks, Devon. Everything we've ever done for you, we have done in your own best interest. And you repay us like this? We are beyond disappointed. From now on, you don't leave our sights. I'm withdrawing you from Milton Heights. You'll sit through our meetings, go with us on inspections, join us for all the galas we can't stand. And I don't care how bored you get. You're an Adair. And it's about time you started acting like one."

Devon nodded again. "Yes, sir," she said, trying unsuccessfully to sound disaffected.

"And, Yale… Any more shenanigans from my daughter before I get there, and it's your head. You hear me? I mean it, both of you. You're seventeen now, for chrissakes. I've had enough of this. Perhaps you don't even need a tutor anymore."

Devon jumped toward the camera. "Father, no! Of course I do! Please, please don't take Yale away!"

"Well, I don't know, Devon. He doesn't seem to be doing much good. You couldn't even manage to finish out a whole year at Milton Heights."

"No, please! I promise! I promise I'll be good!" She wrapped her arms around herself as the tears finally spilled onto her cheeks.

"How many times have I heard _that_? I'll be there in a week. Your mother will stay here and tend to business. And then we're putting you to work. You will work during the day and attend classes with Yale at night. And not Milton Heights type classes. I'm talking about economics, business, planning, engineering… You are going to be earning your college degree. Yes, that's right. And the first complaint I hear out of you…Yale is gone. Do you hear me?"

Yale was not used to being used as a bargaining chip. The Adairs technically did not own Yale, but without their employment, he would certainly be terminated.

He regarded his charge. She was sobbing at this point. She turned to look at him, and Yale's heart melted. "I know my promises don't mean much," she said to both of them. "But I promise I'll do better."

Victor Adair nodded stiffly. "Your mother will be happy to hear that. Now you will have to prove yourself."

Devon turned toward the camera and nodded again. Victor's face softened. "Darling, we worry about you. We just want you to be happy. And…I know you hate to hear this…I'm not getting any younger, sweetheart."

Devon wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Don't say that, Father."

"Well, it's true. I was so consumed with my career, I had given up on having a family by the time I met your mother and finally settled down. I just need to know you'll be able to take care of yourself. And that your mother will be able to pass Adair Industries to you when the time comes."

Devon was worried. Victor Adair rarely spoke about his age. He was barely seventy years old. He had several decades ahead of him. Devon hadn't been exposed to sickness much in her life. It was something drones in the Quadrant had to deal with, not Adairs. It was another reason visiting the sick children at the hospital had made her want to run away. Though she couldn't admit it.

"Are you ok, Father?"

"Strong as an ox!" he laughed, puffing out his chest. "But these are things I need to think about. I'll see you in a week."

"Ok. I love you, Father."

"I know, sweetheart. And, Yale? Don't believe a thing this girl says in the next seven days. Crocodile tears." He turned off his gear.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Saying goodbye to Isaac was more difficult for Yale than he had anticipated. He had opened Yale's eyes, and Yale was more aware of his programming than ever before. Instead of making Yale regretful, however, it left him feeling liberated. Like he was inching closer to a truth. Closer to himself.

"I'll be thinking of you, Yale. And all the others who don't have a voice."

"Don't do anything rash, Isaac," Yale warned. "Right now you are young and hotheaded. But one day you will have a wife and children. And you will be more concerned with protecting them than with changing the world."

"There's no world to be changed," Isaac said, smirking. "We destroyed it, remember?"

Yale laughed. "I will be thinking of you, too."

"Thanks for everything, Yale." Isaac gave him a hug, patting him sharply on the back. He turned to Devon. "And thanks, Devon. I won't forget your generosity." He leaned closer to her, meeting her eye to eye. "Or your promise," he added.

He left abruptly.

Yale found himself looking in Uly's eyes as he finished his tale. "But, what happened to him? What promise was he talking about?"

Yale just ate his food silently. "Perhaps that is a story for another time. The mood of this tale has been detracting from John's magnificent meal. We should 'dig in,'" he said awkwardly. Why had he chosen this story in the first place? Now there was no way out.

"Yeah, but…," True began to protest.

John saw the pain in Yale's eyes and gave True a look. "Let's just eat, alright? I've been slaving away all night, and you've barely touched your plate."

True looked at her dad, then Yale. He looked so sad. It must've been hard for him to talk so much about Devon. But she thought there was probably more to it than that. She decided to distract them all with a story about her most recent encounter with the Aquans the last time she'd been down to the beach.

Uly tried to eat, but he just didn't have an appetite. The portrait Yale had just painted of Devon Adair was definitely nothing like the mother who had raised him. He thought maybe Yale's memory was on the fritz. Or maybe his mom really had changed. And maybe he could change, too. Maybe one day he'd wake up and everything would be ok. Then he thought of the Terrians again and left his fork on his plate. He couldn't take another bite.

John kept an eye on Uly. He knew Yale's story might have upset him a bit, but he never knew what the kid was thinking anymore. Uly's lower lip was trembling, and he lowered his head to try to hide it. True seemed to notice, too, so her story become louder and more animated. Yale seemed lost in his own thoughts, as if he were recalling scenes from his memory banks as he ate.

Uly started to push his chair back. "May I be excused?" he asked quietly, his voice wavering.

True stood up, no longer able to fake a smile. "No! You have to stay down here and suffer with the rest of us!"

Everyone at the table looked at her in shock. "Dammit, Uly, you think you're the only one who's ever lost someone? Look around! And instead of crying about the damn Terrians, why don't you become friends with the other changed kids and deal with it? Why don't you talk to Alonzo? I'm so sick of making up excuses for you all the time. You can be so selfish. You run away just like your mom. Well, look at Yale's story. Did that ever make her happy? All it did was hurt the people around her, and she didn't even care. Maybe Dad should take you to work with him everyday so you can learn to grow up like your mom."

"That's enough, True," John warned.

Yale furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry my story was so upsetting. I did not intend to…"

True watched Uly fume. "Well? Don't you have anything to say? I think this is the part where you tell us we couldn't possibly understand what you're going through. Right? Say it!"

"Just sit down. Both of you," John said sternly.

True and Uly glared at each other before slowly taking their seats.

"It wasn't too long ago I would've been happy to see you guys fighting instead of ignoring each other. But right now you're giving me a headache." John gave each of them a hard look before furiously continuing his meal.

Then Uly finally started to cry. And whenever True saw Uly cry, she was never far behind. She tried to hold it in, but there was no use.

John pushed his plate away, closed his eyes, and let out a long, controlled breath.

"Children, please…," Yale urged.

"Just…calm…down…" John stated it as if it were a mantra. Once he had had a moment to relax, his first instinct was to comfort True. But instead he got up and put his arms around Uly. "It's gonna be alright, kid. Those Terrians didn't know what they were getting into when they changed you. They don't know anything about kids or growing up. They couldn't understand what it would mean to you. Or how hard it would be. But you need to talk to us, ok? You need to talk to Alonzo. If you keep going like this without Dreaming, it's just gonna get worse. Remember how your granddad told your mom he would take Yale away if she didn't shape up? That was pretty cruel, I know. Well, the Terrians are telling you they'll take the Dreaming away for good if you keep running away from us. And it's my fault for not giving you the kind of home you wouldn't want to run away from."

"It's not your fault," Uly sniffed.

John let him go and knelt down to face him. "Listen, you guys have already ruined dinner tonight. We're just gonna keep eating these leftovers for dinner until we can get it right, ok?"

Uly smiled.

John got up and started collecting dishes. "I know I've been working a lot lately. And I haven't been around as much as I should be. But we're a family, and we need to stick together. We're gonna fix this."

True started helping her father, her tears gone. She beamed at him proudly.

"Besides, Devon's gonna be back soon, and I'll be damned if she comes home to a scene like this. I'd never hear the end of it."

As the four of them began clearing the table and cleaning the kitchen, their moods brightened considerably. Yale was always impressed by how effortlessly John could lift the children's spirits by putting them to work.

"Thanks for the help, guys. You can make dessert tomorrow night. Now go wind down and get started on your homework. We'll come check on you in a little bit."

Uly was wiping down the counter. "Can I go see Alonzo after school tomorrow?" he asked timidly.

"Yeah, I'm sure he'd like that. But don't get home too late. I'm not eating these leftovers by myself."

Just saying the words left Uly feeling like a weight had been lifted. He'd been avoiding Alonzo since he'd gotten back. But John was right. His mom wouldn't want to come home to this. And Uly was going to get things back on track.

Uly made a move to go upstairs, but True beat him to it. John laughed as they shoved each other in a race to the top. He really missed the days when everything was a competition between the two of them. Sure it drove him crazy, but it seemed natural. It seemed healthy. And there hadn't been enough of it lately.

Once he was sure the kids were out of earshot, John turned to Yale. "Spill it, Yale."

"Spill what?" Yale asked innocently.

"You're pouring yourself a third glass of that awful stuff Cameron made. Never seen you down more than two…"

"Well, maybe I just like this batch," Yale offered.

"Impossible. It's terrible. The kids are gone, so let it out. Something's obviously been eating at you. And I don't just mean since you told that story. Something's been bothering you for a while now. That story didn't come out of nowhere." He made a gesture toward the kitchen table and took a seat.

Yale hung his head for a moment and regrouped. John was right. But he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He joined John at the table.

"I'm not really sure what it is," Yale began.

"How about you finish up your story?"

Yale slowly spun his glass in his hands. He seemed transfixed by it.

"What, is Isaac Uly's father or something?" John asked.

Yale laughed. "I've told you before. Uly's father was just a medical file."

"Ironic you chose the guy for his health record."

"Yes, I suppose it is. And what would make you ask a question like that?"

"Isaac didn't just disappear quietly from your life, did he? Just trying to guess what the kid got up to…"

"That would be an interesting twist, but it would be impossible." Yale almost laughed at the thought, but it just didn't seem terribly funny at the moment.

John sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his laps, making it clear he wouldn't let Yale off the hook anytime soon. "Alright. So, you finished your story with some kind of ominous promise between Devon and Isaac."

Yale drank deeply before placing the glass on the table and pushing it away. But his eyes remained on it.

"Devon finally found a price Isaac was willing to accept for helping her escape."

"And?"

"She would buy his debt. His and his mother's. Upon her graduation from Milton Heights."

John whistled. "And he believed her? How the hell was she going to arrange something like that? Wait, her dad was withdrawing her from school, so she wasn't going to be graduating anyway…"

"Devon didn't always think things through at that age…"

-----

The last thing Devon wanted to do was make her father angry after everything she'd put him through lately. But she'd made a promise, and she expected to keep it. She confessed over breakfast. She was wearing her first business suit, ready to start her first day shadowing her parents.

Her father just laughed. "So, you made this promise to an immigrant worker so he would help you do something I explicitly told you not to do… And I'm supposed to turn my hard earned credits over to him? Devon, really…" He continued watching the news vids as he sipped his coffee.

"Well, I thought when it came time for me to graduate from Milton Heights, you'd ask me what I wanted for a graduation gift. And I thought that's what I would ask for. And since I'm not going to be graduating from there anymore…"

"Are you getting all this, Yale? I might want to watch it again later." Victor shook his head and chuckled.

"Why is that so funny?"

"Do you even know how difficult it is to buy out a drone's contract outright? Or how much it costs? Not to mention the fact that once you start paying off one guy's debt, you've got thousands more asking for a hand out. And the news vids would have a field day with this one. What would that imply? I withdraw my daughter from the Heights, but I buy the help?"

"But I promised, Daddy."

"Don't 'Daddy' me, Devon. You didn't think this through, as usual. And that boy should've known better than to expect a miracle like that. I sympathize with the immigrant workers, but I'm not some kind of drone patron."

Devon's eyes narrowed.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't use that word. I know I must sound painfully old-fashioned to you children nowadays."

"It's not about sounding old-fashioned," Devon started.

Victor raised a hand to silence her. "I know, Devon."

"So, what about Isaac and his mother?"

Victor thought for a moment. "Well, you'll have to work for it. You'll have to save your pay. And once you've saved enough, you can choose whether you'll use it for your friend or not. Only then will you appreciate exactly what you're asking of me."

"But that would take me years. And you said yourself you wouldn't start paying me until I turned eighteen."

"If you perform adequately, yes."

"But…"

"Devon, if you're about to say that's not fair, you can save it."

Devon poked her oatmeal and sulked.

"Welcome to the real world, sweetheart," Victor said gently, patting her shoulder.

Yale remembered Devon religiously dividing her pay into thirds when she turned eighteen. One third went to her parents for room and board for Yale and herself. Her father had insisted on it. The other third toward her own savings. And the final third was saved for Isaac and his mother. It didn't take her long to realize how difficult it would be to fulfill her promise. She knew she would have to work harder to earn more credits. And that meant accelerating her schooling with Yale and becoming more engaged at work. She tried to get word to Isaac, but he would never respond. But she wouldn't give up. She was driven by guilt and defiance.

Yale looked at John. "Do you remember when the Adairs died?"

John was confused. What did that have to do with anything?

"I don't remember much. True was still pretty small, so I wasn't paying attention to the news vids much at the time. There was an accident or something, right? Something happened to their shuttle?"

"Fifty people on board."

"Wait, you're not gonna tell me that Isaac kid had something to do with it, are you?"

"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that."

"Ok, what happened?" John thought he was used to these tragic stories. Pretty much anyone who signed up for an almost fifty year cold sleep gig or decided to pull up stakes and move to a completely unknown planet had some kind of sob story. And he'd heard plenty of them the past four years.

"The official story? Radical insurgents. Sabotage. A message for the 'blue bloods.'"

"Drones, huh? Yeah, I guess there was a lot of that stuff going on at the time. I was approached more times than I could count. Wanting to know if I could help the cause. Told 'em to take a hike, I had enough trouble."

"Devon eventually had enough credits to send to Isaac's mother. She received word from Milton Heights that she had passed away. And they would be absorbing Devon's offer. Devon asked them to transfer it to her son, but they said he had broken his contract when his mother died. He had escaped, and they never caught him."

"The whole thing is pretty twisted, but it took guts for her to do that." After a moment, John raised an eyebrow. "So, what's Isaac got to do with Devon's parents getting killed?"

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer to that question."

------------

Yale remembered standing behind Devon, his hand on her shoulder as they waited outside the door. The past month had been a blur for both of them. Funeral arrangements, press conferences, board meetings... And then three days before, they had been shown footage of the five suspects. Yale felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. He looked at Devon for confirmation and saw her mouth hanging open, her eyes unfocused.

"You know this man? Jake Rockefeller?" the inspector had asked.

Devon shook her head slowly. "N-no. No. It's just...a lot to take in, that's all."

Yale followed her lead and shook his head, too. "It's been a very difficult time, as you can imagine."

The inspector seemed to look them over, but finally sat back and showed them footage of the next suspect.

And now here they were. Waiting to see Isaac Winters for the first time after almost eight years. Devon and Yale had agreed to keep that name to themselves, just in case they had been mistaken.

"You have five minutes, Ms. Adair," the guard stated.

"Please, Officer. If we could have just a little more time. I might never get this chance again..."

"Ms. Adair, I don't know..."

"Please. Unmonitored," Yale added.

The guard considered this. He looked around to see if anyone was watching.

"Please, Officer. For my parents."

Finally the guard relented. "Well, I can't see how it should make a difference now anyway. They sound pretty sure that the guy is guilty. If giving you some unmonitored time with the creep will give you some kinda closure before he's executed, then so be it."

He lead them into a bare room, two stools facing a large glass wall.

"If you need anything, or if he causes any trouble, I'll be right outside."

Devon and Yale took a seat on the stools. The guard tapped his gear. "Send in Rockefeller. Do not retrieve him without my orders. No monitors, understand? For the Adairs."

He gave Devon a pat on the shoulder before exiting.

Yale held Devon's hand as the door on the opposite side of the glass opened and a man was pushed into the room. The door closed behind him, and he blinked as if adjusting to the light.

For a moment, Yale thought they had been mistaken. This certainly couldn't be the young man he remembered.

The man limped toward the glass, still squinting. He recognized his unlikely visitors at the same instant they came to the conclusion that he was, in fact, the man they suspected.

It was Isaac Winters. His right eye was swollen and his lip was cut. They were fresh wounds, and Yale could tell they had happened since he'd been in prison.

"Yale?" he whispered.

Yale nodded. "Yes, Isaac. We saw your image and needed to verify it was really you."

"Devon, I'm so sorry about what happened. But, Yale, I didn't do it. I had nothing to do with it, I swear." Even though his leg was badly injured, he stood directly in front of the glass. His declaration of innocence seemed to give him strength.

Yale looked over at Devon. She sat stiffly, her face unreadable. But her hand shook in his.

"We are not being monitored, Isaac. We have come here for the truth. We need you to tell us what happened."

"Yale, I don't know what the hell is going on. I'm not saying I've never broken the law when fighting for the cause. But I've never killed anyone. I've never even met these other guys they're saying I was conspiring with."

"But they say they have enough to find you guilty. Enough to execute you, possibly."

As battered as Isaac was, he managed to pull himself together. Yale had seen that look in Isaac's eyes countless times. Defiance, resolve, as if he were pulling from some bottomless reserve of strength.

"It doesn't matter what I say. They've already made up their minds. I'm never getting out of here."

Devon finally broke her silence. "What about your advocate?" she asked, hoarsely.

Isaac laughed. He looked at Devon for the first time. "You still have your faith in the system. Your system. Always so optimistic that right will prevail. You think they'll grant me an advocate?"

"It's your right," Yale stated. "You should have been provided one upon your arrest."

Isaac finally sat on his stool. Gesturing toward his face, he muttered, "Look at me, Yale. You think they're concerned about my rights?"

Devon gave Yale's hand a final squeeze before letting go and standing up. "We can get you representation, Isaac. But you have to tell us the truth."

"You're still the same naive girl who promised to buy out my debt," Isaac smiled.

"I tried," she whispered.

Isaac's eyes softened. "What? Come on, that would've been impossible. Of course I didn't expect you to..."

"But it was too late. Your mother had passed away. And you were missing."

Isaac hung his head. "You never give up, do you, Adair?"

"Not when it matters," she said, approaching the glass. "Now, tell us what happened."

"I have a couple theories. One is that there really was an accident on the shuttle. And the Council is using this as an opportunity to clean up some drone riff-raff. To curtail some kind of massive rebellion they seem convinced is in the works."

"And your other theories?" Yale urged.

"Same thing. Except it wasn't an accident. Who would gain from assassinating Victor and Sarah Adair and some of the highest ranking men and women in Adair Industries? Sure, they could've hired drones. But wouldn't you want to know who did the hiring?"

"What are you suggesting?" Devon asked.

"Adair Industries gets more powerful every year. I'm sure there are a few other blue bloods who wouldn't mind tearing them down."

"And then they could place the blame on immigrant workers. Maybe even work a deal with the Council," Devon whispered.

Yale was at a loss. He knew Isaac's suggestions were certainly possibilities. But he was afraid Devon was already fragile from dealing with her parents' sudden death. And that she could easily be drawn in by Isaac's conspiracy theories. The truth was that they did not know the man sitting before them. They had no idea where he had been or what he had been doing since they had last seen him. He had changed his name. And he even admitted to the fact that he had been involved in criminal activities. Yale did not want to believe Isaac was guilty in this situation. But he had no real reason to believe he wasn't.

But Devon seemed mesmerized. As though she finally had something to fight against since her parents' death. She had been holding Adair Industries together over the past month. Barely taking a moment for herself. Hardly eating or sleeping. Knowing that if she let the company collapse, it would be the final insult to her parents' memory. And along comes a mysterious figure from her past to offer her a new enemy. Yale rose to stand beside Devon and put his arm around her shoulders.

"I think we've been here long enough. The guard was kind enough to grant us more time, but we shouldn't take advantage..."

Devon placed her palm on the glass. "I'll get you an advocate. I'll get you out of here."

Isaac looked at her hand and laughed. "You've been watching too many soaps, Adair. This isn't Milton Heights. If the Council has their minds made up, I'm not going anywhere." But he stood up and lumbered toward the glass to place his palm on hers. "But if anyone can do it, it's you."

Yale waited a moment before leaning forward and whispering, "Devon, we really must go."

Devon nodded and lowered her hand. Isaac stayed as he was. "Come see me again before they toss me out the airlock," he stated dryly.

Yale saw tears in Devon's eyes when she finally turned to leave.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"And that was the last time we saw Isaac Winters. The trial was postponed several times. I think the Council was waiting for another travesty to distract the public. There were so many rumors circulating during that time that I think most people would be hard-pressed to say what really happened during those months. Before the trial could get underway, the five men accused of destroying the shuttle were shot while attempting an escape."

John absentmindedly rubbed his jaw. "But you never found out for sure if he'd been involved or not. That maybe he had been hired to sabotage the shuttle."

Yale looked into his glass. "Exactly. But he was right about one thing. Although it was never proved in court, Devon and I learned Bashir Manufacturing had been in dire straits before the accident. And that they had begged and threatened the Adairs to bail them out. They hoped the accident would drive Adair Industries into the ground, and they could reap the benefits. But they hadn't counted on Devon's drive. She kept the company on top and destroyed the Bashirs in the process. We don't know what kind of deal the Bashirs struck with the Council, or, more likely, what kind of incriminating evidence they had on some of the Council members, but it was clear that justice in court was unlikely. Even the news vids would not touch the story. So we moved on. Knowing that at least the Adair legacy had survived while the Bashirs lost everything their ancestors had worked for."

"So why is this all coming back to you now? Is it because Devon might finally be coming home?"

Yale was silent for a long time. John was about to tell him to just try to put it out of his mind for the rest of the night when Yale finally spoke.

"I visited the Terrian caves a few weeks ago. After Julia gave us her news about Devon. I was drawn to the sun stones," Yale stated guiltily.

"Hey, I'm not into that kinda stuff, but it doesn't mean I don't think they haven't been useful for people around here." John remembered nights holed up in the Terrian caves when the colony's first buildings were under construction. The sun stone veins glowing warmly, warding off the humid ocean air. He still wasn't sure how the sun stones worked, but he knew they'd helped Yale in the past. And there were quite a few parents who had lost their children who found comfort after visiting the Terrian caves and spending time communing with the stones.

"I have the potential for total recall because of my cybernetic enhancements. But naturally I would not choose to use it to relive painful moments. So there are parts of that time after the Adairs' deaths that I have never revisited. You know I have not been drawn to the Dreamplane as some of our comrades have. But I have found solace in the sun stones in the past. And I hoped to find clarity after hearing Julia's news. In the past, the sun stones have slowly helped me unravel part of Brayden Croix's past. But this time the planet revealed a glimpse into my past with Devon."

Again, John remained silent, and Yale appreciated his patience. Not for the first time, Yale looked forward to Devon's return. Not just for his own sake, but for his friend's. Yale thought it was exceedingly cruel that after so many years of loneliness, Devon had finally met her match and had then been snatched away. He really hoped they would seize the opportunity of a second chance.

Yale leaned forward and set his elbows on the table. Turning to John, he stated, "That's where this story came from. Why I felt compelled, almost against my will, to share it. I didn't realize it until now, until I went through the whole tale. I felt something the last time I contacted the sun stones. And I know what it is now."

Yale could not believe he was speaking the words. "Isaac Winters...is alive. And he is on G889. I felt...something."

"Well, it's a bit of a long shot, but it's not the first time we've seen coincidences like that on this planet. It seemed pretty unlikely that all five suspects would be shot at once trying to escape. Sounds like a cover up so they could use some expendable drones as penal colonists to test this place out."

Yale smiled sadly. "There's more."

John raised an eyebrow and gave Yale a lopsided grin. "Alright, Yale. I don't know how much more of this I can take. How could there possibly be more?"

"We know there's more to this planet, its very consciousness, the Dreamplane...all of it. So much we don't understand. But you've said yourself we've witnessed quite a few uncanny coincidences during our years on this planet."

Yale laid out his cybernetic arm, palm out. A still image of a man's face flickered in the air. "What do you think of this?" Yale asked.

"Is that Isaac Winters?"

"No, this is Uly's father. This was attached to the medical file."

"Really? You sure? Doesn't look much like him."

"This is the only image we had of him. It wasn't much to go on. When I see Uly, all I see are the features he got from his mother."

Yale showed John another image.

John was startled. "I think I see where you're going with this… That's Isaac Winters."

"Yes."

"That's Uly's father…"

"I simply never saw it before. When he was growing up he was always covered with something, tubes and wires in his cribs or later in his immuno-suit. And it simply would have never been a possibility in my mind." Yale abruptly closed his hand into a fist, causing the face to disappear.

"How the hell is that even possible? The guy was in jail. And it seems from your story that they weren't even particularly close."

"I have no idea. Why wouldn't she have told me? She was adamant that she wanted a child after her parents were killed. I told her it was too soon. That she should wait. She had not had time to mourn. She was struggling to hold onto the company. And the trial was always looming in the distance."

Yale seemed to be focused on a spot on the kitchen table. "I went through hundreds of donor profiles with her. And there was nothing to suggest that the medical procedures she underwent were…fabricated."

John placed a hand on Yale's shoulder. "Listen, Yale. Maybe she wasn't trying to keep something from you. Maybe that other guy really is Uly's father. Maybe it is just a coincidence."

"On this planet?"

John rose from his seat. "Alright, you're not gonna get all your answers tonight. Hell, you probably won't get any answers 'til Devon gets back. And I'd wager all this business probably won't be the first thing she wants to talk about. And so what if this Isaac guy is on G889? We've got enough to deal with right now without looking for more penal colonists to add to our ranks."

Yale was surprised by John's sudden angry turn. But Yale could not just ignore what the planet chose to show him. He would let it rest for the night, but he would visit the sun stones again soon to search for more answers.

As if predicting his thoughts, John warned, "I think you should just steer clear of that _Morganite_ for a while, Yale. All it's doing right now is causing you pain and bringing us trouble."

Yale nodded slowly. "Perhaps you're right."

"Well, one thing's for sure. Not a word of this to Uly."

"I agree."

John didn't want to admit that the image of Isaac Winters floating above the table had spooked him on a level he hadn't experienced in a while. The sooner he forgot about this entire evening, the better.

"Well, we've got two kids upstairs waiting for our help," John reminded Yale, gesturing toward the stairs.

Yale stood and made his way to the bottom of the steps.

"True's got that big trig test tomorrow. Not to mention stable duty in the morning."

Yale realized John was using the same tactic on him that always worked on the children. He distracted them by putting them to work. Yale decided to play along. It was probably in his best interest to push thoughts of Isaac Winters out of his mind for the time being. Until he could find out what to do with the information, at least.

"Yes. And Uly is still working on his chemistry project."

"Sounds right up your alley," John smiled.

Yale returned the smile before nodding sharply and heading upstairs.

John found himself alone in the kitchen. Everything was clean and back in its place, as if nothing had happened that night. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, wishing his mind were so lucky. He glanced at the stairs to make sure Yale was out of sight. True could wait a few more minutes.

John stood in the doorway to Devon's room. The room she had never seen. The room he thought not that long ago she would never see. He imagined her standing before her window, hair blowing in the ocean breeze, arms crossed, gear on her head, letting some poor bastard have it. John smiled at the thought.

"Just come on home, Adair," he whispered before turning around to follow Yale.

FIN

----

Note:

I would like to thank all the Earth 2 fan fiction writers whose works I've read over the years for their devotion to this beloved show. And I'd like to thank Arcole for giving me the push I needed to just do this already.

I threw in a few names, events, and concepts into this story that aren't fully addressed. They are intended to fit within the larger context of future Earth 2 stories I am writing. The sequel to this story is "Welcome to New Pacifica!" Devon comes home, but things don't go according to plan. Wouldn't be much fun otherwise.

This has been really fun to write, but ridiculously terrifying to post. I hope you enjoyed it.


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